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Order of Grey
"Maintain the Balance." The Order of Grey or Grey Adepts is a mysterious sect among the Established Orders for they are a hybrid Order composed of former Creators and Destroyers. Possessing the power of both Meta Orders, they are exceptionally powerful which allows them a greater sphere of influence than what their smaller numbers should be capable of. The nature of the Order is shrouded in obscure philosophy and subterfuge but it appears that the Grey Adepts view themselves as the keepers of cosmic balance and to that end they work behind the scenes to influence events in the world. Whenever one force within the world becomes too powerful, the Grey Adepts move to empower its opposite rival, and so keep creation running smoothly. Aspect Of God: Divine Balance AKA: Those Who Keep The Balance. Grey Degrees The Grey Facts: -The primary symbol of the Grey Adepts in the modern age is the Yin-Yang. The white represents the Creative force while the black represents the powers of Destruction. -Grey Adepts find the color gray to be stimulating and relaxing, it shows up often in their meditative art and aesthetics. -Creator and Destroyer Adepts can sense each other's presence, but a Grey Adept will play havoc on that ability. At times they may come off as a Creator Adept, then a Destroyer, and sometimes they may register as something else to the preternatural senses of the Meta Orders. -The Grey keep to themselves. In times past, when either the Creator or Destroyer Order became too powerful over the other, the Grey Adepts would intercede and fight on behalf of the underdog. This means that through the centuries, the Grey Adepts have worked against or even attacked each of the two Meta Orders in kind. Because of this, the Order of Grey has a somewhat sinister reputation among either Adept Orders. -The Order of Grey is small but tight-knit. What Factions there are tend to be mere schools of slightly different philosophical thought rather than a full blown separate organization within the Order. -The Order of Grey strongly follows a Mentor-Disciple paradigm. Normally, when their numbers become low, a Grey Adept of experience and accomplishment will go out to recruit among the Creators and Destroyers. Using special powers, they will seek to reveal the truths of their Order to either kind of Adept in the hopes of converting them over to the Grey. This is one of the few known instances where membership for an Order is often more dependent on the actions of the Order itself and not on God simply inducting people (although some Creators and Destroyers are inducted that way too, but it is rare). -A student Grey Adept will live with their Mentor for years, learning everything they can and, more importantly for the Order, acting as their assistant and partner in the cause. The Mentor will operate behind the scenes while the Student is their muscle and agent of action. -Only Creators and Destroyers ever join the Order of the Grey. -Grey Adepts usually only ever come to the Order because they were interested in the deeper, metaphysical ramifications of being either a Creator or Destroyer. This is probably why the Order of Grey has such a strong monastic feel to it. -Grey Adepts frequently dress in gray robes and cloaks, especially ones with hoods sufficient to conceal themselves. -Grey Adepts can sense nearby Creators or Destroyers. -Grey Adepts have the combined powers of both the White and Black Orders... to a point. -In addition to that, Grey Adepts have powers all their own, allowing them to sense the morality of others and to maintain balance in the world. -The game of Chess is very popular within the Grey. -While idealistic, most Grey Adepts operate along a more Neutral morality system. They believe that Good and Evil are both forces of the universe. -Rock art is popular within the Order. Chantries kept by Grey Adept may feature several examples of intricate rock art, both for aesthetic purposes as well as a tool to aid in meditation. -Mixed martial arts is also fairly common within the Order, although that doesn't mean every member knows how to duke it out Kung Fu style. -Grey Adepts rarely if ever reveal which Meta Order they came from. -Regions of the world that have proven to be strongholds for the Grey are the Orient, with its traditions of Yin and Yang, Egypt because of the ancient teaching of Maat, central to lower Africa, and Central America. France has also proven to be a major area for the Grey Order as well. Relationship With The Meta Orders: The Grey Adepts all started out as either Creators or Destroyers, so the relationship between the Grey Adepts and the Meta Orders is fundamentally one of kinship. But this is a guarded, aloof kinship, since the Grey Adepts see themselves as the guardians of Balance, and therefore the watchdogs of the Meta Orders. Also, in addition to this, the Grey Adepts are known and allied to the Ruling Orders, the long-standing rivals of the Meta Orders. While not open about their practices per se, the Grey Adepts are perfectly willing to work with the rivals of their former comrades. Morally Neutral: Grey Adepts are idealists and philosophers, but their philosophy frequently leads to a morality that leaves others a bit disquieted. For instance, a Grey Adept, if witnessing a natural disaster like a landslide, would help those unfortunates caught in the destruction. But they would not be angry about it, and if someone were to blame, the Grey would not seek to punish them. After all, both life and death, creation and destruction, kindness and cruelty are part of existence. The Lord giveth and The Lord taketh away. http://www.easydamus.com/trueneutral.html http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TrueNeutral The Orient: With its deep history of Taoist philosophy and Eastern religious ideals, the Orient has long been a hot spot for the Order of Grey. The dominant philosophy of Yin and Yang has long been a source of new members for the Order, all the way back into prehistory. In modern times, the Orient is undergoing rapid changes. No longer as isolated from the West as it has been before, the cultures of the Orient nonetheless still retain a strong sense of cosmic balance, or at least the need for a cosmic balance which proves to be a rich seedbed for the Grey. Communist China, which proved to be a stronghold for the Destroyer Order in the region, has recently witnessed a new influx of Grey Adepts. These Grey Adepts now work as freedom fighters and instigators of social change, working to bring down the Destroyers a few notches in order to restore proper Balance. Japan, a technological wonderland, and stronghold of the Creator Order, has been vying with Grey Adepts for decades now. These Grey Adepts operate largely as staunch traditionalists who push to keep Japan from skyrocketing too far ahead in the cultural changes taking places. They seek to keep the Creators from accidentally tearing Japan's cultural identity apart in the name of progress. Notice that in each instance, the Grey tend to be contrarians, taking on the opposite behavior and tactics of the dominant Meta Order. References: -https://www.pinterest.com/benjaminstyles7/order-of-grey/ -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang -http://taoism.net/ -http://christiantaoism.blogspot.com/